Venetian blind



Jan. 29, 1946. Y D. L J. SMITH ETAL 2,393,319

I VENETIAN BLIND Filed ,April 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 31:55.11] /0 L4INVENTORS- Patented Jan. 29, 1946 2,393,819 VENETIAN BLIND Donald L. J.Smith, Long Beach, and Charles J udels, Hollywood, Calif.

Application April 19, 1944, Serial No. 531,794 Claims. (Cl..160 -178)This invention relates to Venetian blinds and it is one object of theinvention to provide blinds of this type which are so constructed thattwo or more may be used at a window, one above another and independentlyadjusted. It will thus be seen that by installing upper and lowerblinds, one above another, passage of light through an upper sash or alower sash may be regulated independent of each other and glareeliminated without unduly darkening a room.

Another object of the invention is to provide the Venetian blinds withslats carried by supporting strips located at ends ofth'e slats insteadof in spaced relation to their ends. Therefore, the vertically extendingstrips or tapes carrying the slats will be'dispo'sed adjacent oppositeside portions of a window frame instead of in front of the sashes andwill not interfere with a clear and unobstructed view through a window.When drapes are in use they will cover the supporting tapes and concealthem from View.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the slats that they arefastened to cross tapes carried by the supporting tapes, the supportingtapes being secured to tilting slats at upper and lower ends of theblinds and causing all of the slats to be tilted together when thesupporting tapes are shifted upwardly or downwardly.

Another object of the invention is to provide slats which are firmly butdetachably held to the cross tapes by resilient clips, thus permittingthe slats to be removed for cleaning or repairs and then easily replacedand secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide Venetian blinds which aresimple in construc-' Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view showing theslats tilted to an inclined position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showin some of the slats and one of thesupporting strips or tapes partially in front elevation and partially insection;

Figure 4 is a side view showing a portion of the Venetian blinds upon anenlarged scale, the

view being taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 ofFigure 3;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of one end portion end portion of Figure 12is a view showing the slat'in longitudinal section and the clip appliedthereto.

This improved Venetian blind consists briefly of a multiplicity of slatsI, upper and lower tilting slats 2 and 3 which may be termed head slats,supporting strips or bands 4 carrying cross strips 5 to which the slatsI are secured. by resilient 'clips 6, and brackets 1 by means of whichthe head slats are tiltably mounted across a window.

The head slats or tilting slats 2 and 3 are of appreciably greaterthickness than the slats I and may be formed of wood, plastic, metal, orother suitable material while the slats l are formed of sheet materialwhich may be sheet metal, wood, plastic or the like and are ofconcavo-convexed formation in cross section, as

shown in Figure 4, with their concaved surfaces presented downwardly.

The head slats have pintles 8 projecting from their ends which engagethrough openings formed in the brackets l to tiltably mount the headslats, and side edge faces of these head slats are rounded, as shown inFigure 9, so that wear upon the bands or strips 4 will be reduced to aminimum.

The bands or strips 4 are formed of fabric and are endless, as shown inFigure 2, and. referring to this figure, it will be seen that the bandsare trained about the slats l and the head slats 2 and 3 in closecontacting engagement with the head slats. Therefore, when one of thebands is grasped and vertical shifting movement imparted to it, thecross slats will be simultaneously turned axially of theirpintles. Thecross strips 5 extend between front and rear flights of the bands 4where they are secured in any desired manner, and the slats I are ofsuch width that when they are set in place their side edges will makecontact with inner surfaces of the front and rear flights of the bands.The clips 6 are then applied and since the clips are resilient theyexert pressure upon the slats and the cross strips and impart astretching action to the cross strips and cause the slats l to be somounted that they tilt with the head slats.

The clips are of duplicate construction and each is formed from a stripor strand of resilient metal which is bent substantially midway itslength to provide an arcuate bridge portion 9 and arms H] and II spacedfrom each other as respective cross bands; means detachably securing theend of one of the slats to the associated cross band at the transversecenter of the slat.

shown in Figure 10. The arm I0 is bent in spaced 7 relationeto'itsfreeaend to formianlinwardlyextending -.y shap-e d spur v:jor teeth t2 landz the Eslats i are formed near their ends with openings orperforations l3 in which the spurs or teeth- 12 v engage to hold theclips in place and prevent the slats I from shifting longitudinal]engagement with the cross strips-5.

If the slats l are not formed with ppenings 13 the clips may be turnedto dispose their arms [0 lowermost, as shown in-Fi-g'ure 12, and the.

teeth l2 will then engage against inner side edges of theSupporting-strips and prevent the clips from 'slippirlg out ofengagementwith the slats and the cross strips upon which the slats 'rest.Frictional -grip of the teeth and the arms ll against upper and lowersurfaces of the slats i lower-corners dflthe window'framey Since thebands or strips A are locatedat -ends of the slats '1 they will b'edisposed a'djacent opposite side-portions of the window frame instead ofopposite :portionsof the sashes and they vwill not interfere ;with clear.view through the window. The

fact that thebands are opposite side iportions of the "window frame alsopermits :them to be i coveered andi concealed by draperies hung alongthe side portions of a window. When the slats llare in;a:horizontal;position:a;person mayseeaclearly throughithe windowandlight .alsoliente'rsua room. By. grasping the frontzfiights of the'd-bands :4

hand hifting ether same upwardly ;or .idownwardly :the; crossstripsl-ilcarried by, bands! will .be.:tilted land lthe slats I I .2tiltedewith :them to 'an inclined position .uwhich 'lWlll prevent.QgIare. gBy- :turning .the. =slats :to ;a substantially vertical.position in which edge portions of thefslats' overlap 'alllglare mzillbe t'eliminatedmandpersons.outside a room prevented from seeing throughthe window.

.When it ris necessary to -c1eana Venetian blind,

the clipsrmay be ,easilyremoved, the slats thoroughl-y cleaned, andthenvreplaced and secured bythe clips.

While we have mer t of our inventionut is to be understood that.lyarious changes: in the size,, shape and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing ifromthe spirit gofithelinvention and thescopeeof the VappendedQcIaims.

shown the preferred embodi- 2. In a Venetian blind comprising a 'multi-7pl-icity;,of1 slats, upper and, lower t head abarspivf'otal'lyfnio'unted; for iyerti'c'al, tiltin movement,

endless supporting bars, and-cross bands mounted between flights of saidsupporting bands, said slats being arcuate transversely and having theirend portions rest- ;ingiupon the cross bands; resilient clips respec-.tively straddling said bands and the ends of the associated slats-andapplying pressure to hold ,theslats in place upon the respective crossbands, 7 the side edges of the slats being in engagement virith the"inner surfaces of the flights or" the -supporting bands. v V v i '3."In a Venetian blind comprising a multiplicity of -slats, upper and"lower bars 'pivotally "mounted for-tilting mov ment; endless supportmgloa'J-i'gis disposed "vertically and severally trained about theendportions of said head 5 bars with demand fear-flights] between; whichthe'eiid portions of the slets extend, and cross' bands mounted betweenthe' flights' of f's'ai'd supporting bands and engagiri'g un'der theen'd portionsof said slats; U -shaped resili'ent li-psfrespectivelystraddling-the bross band-sand the e'r'idsof'ithe associated slat=arid'applying pressure to hold the slats to the associated crossfbands. 7

4. -In' a Venetian blind 1 comprising" upper 1 and lower bars pivotally-mounted for tiltir'ig 'move- "merit,supportingbandsextending-vertically and severally 'trained'about theends of cross bars, 7 cross iba'nds carried-by *s'aid suppcirti'ngbands, and a multiplicity of sl-ats having *end portions restingupon s'aideross" bands, said "slats' 'being of concave-convex" formationin cross section with :theirconcaved faces presented downwardly andtheir-Side e'dg'es' contacting the cross bands; 'resilientclipsrespectively straddling said cross bands V and the end portions of 'theiassociated slats longitudinally thereof an'd firi'fily grippingthe crossbands and associated slats. a

5. In aVenetianiblind'comprising upper and lower .crosstbars'l'pivotally mounted for tilting movement, supporting bandsextending ivertical'ly and severally ;;trainediabout the ends. of saidcross W'I- Iaving thus'described the invention; what is claimedisi1'.;1n a venetian blind com rising a multifplicity o'f slats, upper andlower head members pivotally mounted for vertical tilting movement,

' supporting banjds severallytr'aine'd about the ends of the headmembers and having'front and rear bars, cross bands carri'e'd1-.:byrsjaid'rsupporting :bands, and a multiplicityf :of slats ihaving :end:,portion r sp v ly-restin pon said pre s bands, said slats bein g ofconcavo-convexformation in cross section -witlri their concav d racespresented downwardly and their-side edges coni mating e cr ss ndsea h- 1th vme le i formed in spaced relation'to its ends; resilient clipsrespectively: straddling ,the crossbands and V theend portionsof,theslats, each clip having a tooth engagedinthen-associatedfopeningiin its 7 slat. LDONAIQD L. J. l SMITH.

CHARLES J UDEIJS.

bands disposed vertically and V severally trained about the ends of saidhead

